Myunghee Lee
@immyungheelee.bsky.social
Assistant Prof. at JMC, Michigan State University. Previously at the University of Copenhagen. Studies authoritarian politics, democratization, protest, security, Korea and China. https://jmc.msu.edu/faculty-staff/directory/Lee.html
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
Heading to #APSA2025! Some exciting things on deck for tomorrow: on the Determinants of Public Opinion on Foreign Policy 2 panel (12 pm), @immyungheelee.bsky.social, Alex Jensen, and I discuss our survey experiment of public opinion towards the US military in South Korea and the Philippines 1/6
September 10, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Heading to #APSA2025! Some exciting things on deck for tomorrow: on the Determinants of Public Opinion on Foreign Policy 2 panel (12 pm), @immyungheelee.bsky.social, Alex Jensen, and I discuss our survey experiment of public opinion towards the US military in South Korea and the Philippines 1/6
I'm pleased to share that I’ve joined the editorial team of Communist and Post-Communist Studies as an Associate Editor. I look forward to working with this excellent team.
Encourage you to consider submitting your manuscript if your research fits the journal's aim.
online.ucpress.edu/cpcs
Encourage you to consider submitting your manuscript if your research fits the journal's aim.
online.ucpress.edu/cpcs
Communist and Post-Communist Studies | University of California Press
online.ucpress.edu
August 1, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I'm pleased to share that I’ve joined the editorial team of Communist and Post-Communist Studies as an Associate Editor. I look forward to working with this excellent team.
Encourage you to consider submitting your manuscript if your research fits the journal's aim.
online.ucpress.edu/cpcs
Encourage you to consider submitting your manuscript if your research fits the journal's aim.
online.ucpress.edu/cpcs
Invited to write this based on my research on the authoritarian-led party system and the far-right movement in SK. If you are interested in understanding how authoritarian shadows have deeply haunted the country, this could be a good short read.
www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...
www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...
Martial Law and Its Aftermath: The Authoritarian Shadows Still Haunting South Korean Democracy - Australian Institute of International Affairs
South Korean politics has never been more dynamic than it is this year since democratisation. In early January, the world watched two unprecedented and chaotic standoffs between Yoon Suk Yeol’s [...]
www.internationalaffairs.org.au
July 31, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Invited to write this based on my research on the authoritarian-led party system and the far-right movement in SK. If you are interested in understanding how authoritarian shadows have deeply haunted the country, this could be a good short read.
www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...
www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
I hope @christiehenry.bsky.social understands that for many in Xinjiang, the “peace” she saw is what scholars have elsewhere termed “the peace of the prison-yard.”
(Plenty of good scholars at Princeton who could’ve helped them avoid this. Just embarrassing.)
(Plenty of good scholars at Princeton who could’ve helped them avoid this. Just embarrassing.)
ICYMI, On her curated tour, head of Princeton UP Henry says directly to camera: “the ability for multiple languages and cultures to coexist in such a magical wonderful way is a story that will help the rest of the world learn to live, how to live in peace, rather than war.”
not looking good for Princeton University Press is it @princetonupress.bsky.social
the video can be found on Facebook
www.facebook.com/share/v/16Rv...
the video can be found on Facebook
www.facebook.com/share/v/16Rv...
June 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I hope @christiehenry.bsky.social understands that for many in Xinjiang, the “peace” she saw is what scholars have elsewhere termed “the peace of the prison-yard.”
(Plenty of good scholars at Princeton who could’ve helped them avoid this. Just embarrassing.)
(Plenty of good scholars at Princeton who could’ve helped them avoid this. Just embarrassing.)
Had some insightful conversations about democracy with scholars from around the world at an event sponsored by @carnegieendowment.org in Lisbon, Portugal. I shared my perspectives on South Korean democracy since 1987.
April 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Had some insightful conversations about democracy with scholars from around the world at an event sponsored by @carnegieendowment.org in Lisbon, Portugal. I shared my perspectives on South Korean democracy since 1987.
Joan Cho's book Seed of Mobilization offers valuable insights into Korean democracy. Read my review.
doi.org/10.1111/deve...
doi.org/10.1111/deve...
Seeds of Mobilization: The Authoritarian Roots of South Korea's Democracy by Joan E. Cho, Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan Press, 2024, xxi + 253 pp.
Click on the article title to read more.
doi.org
April 7, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Joan Cho's book Seed of Mobilization offers valuable insights into Korean democracy. Read my review.
doi.org/10.1111/deve...
doi.org/10.1111/deve...
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
Not now, Guillermo O'Donnell. (Teaching intro to comparative politics to undergrads in spring 2025 is a WILD experience.)
March 27, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Not now, Guillermo O'Donnell. (Teaching intro to comparative politics to undergrads in spring 2025 is a WILD experience.)
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
@immyungheelee.bsky.social is an expert on #authoritarianism, #democratization, and #protest in East Asia. Listen to her on this week's episode of Disrupting Peace discuss discuss how a #politicalopposition can successfully overturn a president’s power grab by looking at South Korea.
March 20, 2025 at 1:36 PM
@immyungheelee.bsky.social is an expert on #authoritarianism, #democratization, and #protest in East Asia. Listen to her on this week's episode of Disrupting Peace discuss discuss how a #politicalopposition can successfully overturn a president’s power grab by looking at South Korea.
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
Episode 2 of Disrupting Peace focuses on South Korea in the wake of the attempted martial law declaration on December 3 by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Our guests are Myunghee Lee (@immyungheelee.bsky.social) and Jiho Cha.
Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen: shorturl.at/w0DUp
Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen: shorturl.at/w0DUp
South Korea: Successfully Opposing Presidential Overreach
Podcast Episode · Disrupting Peace · 03/18/2025 · 26m
shorturl.at
March 18, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Episode 2 of Disrupting Peace focuses on South Korea in the wake of the attempted martial law declaration on December 3 by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Our guests are Myunghee Lee (@immyungheelee.bsky.social) and Jiho Cha.
Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen: shorturl.at/w0DUp
Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen: shorturl.at/w0DUp
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
"How Criminal Organizations Expand to Strong States: Local Agreements and Migrant Exploitation in Northern Italy" by Gemma Dipoppa. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
March 7, 2025 at 9:02 PM
"How Criminal Organizations Expand to Strong States: Local Agreements and Migrant Exploitation in Northern Italy" by Gemma Dipoppa. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
Readout of Blinken's meeting with acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok. No mention of South Korea's political chaos.
January 6, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Readout of Blinken's meeting with acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok. No mention of South Korea's political chaos.
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Meanwhile, the ruling PPP keeps arguing that the arrest is illegal (it's a court order, so def legal/legitimate)🤦. Treating them as 'another voice' is dangerous. Bothsidesism nips at the heels of democracy.
January 3, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Meanwhile, the ruling PPP keeps arguing that the arrest is illegal (it's a court order, so def legal/legitimate)🤦. Treating them as 'another voice' is dangerous. Bothsidesism nips at the heels of democracy.
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
I have to add that Yoon does this while instigating unrest by dog-whistling far-right wing activists--YouTubers, evangelical churches, and the notorious 'Taguekgi' troops. My colleague @immyungheelee.bsky.social wrote about who these people are: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Protectors of liberal democracy or defenders of past authoritarianism?: authoritarian legacies, collective identity, and the far-right protest in South Korea
Between 2016 and 2019, South Korean conservatives organized a movement called the T’aegŭkki Rallies to oppose the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and to protest against President Moon Jae-in...
www.tandfonline.com
January 3, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I have to add that Yoon does this while instigating unrest by dog-whistling far-right wing activists--YouTubers, evangelical churches, and the notorious 'Taguekgi' troops. My colleague @immyungheelee.bsky.social wrote about who these people are: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
Yes. This is the point that international media needs to get their head around: democrats need to drive home Han and the PPP's responsibility, even after the failed coup attempt, to deepen instability in service to their own selfish interests, and the whims of disgraced Yoon.
In conclusion, Han's refusal to appoint the three nominees could cause significant instability in the country by delaying the Constitutional Court's judgment process on Yoon's impeachment case. fin/
December 27, 2024 at 10:12 PM
Yes. This is the point that international media needs to get their head around: democrats need to drive home Han and the PPP's responsibility, even after the failed coup attempt, to deepen instability in service to their own selfish interests, and the whims of disgraced Yoon.
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
Great perspective on the current situation in Korea, with the 2nd impeachment in 2 weeks.
The Prime Minister and acting President of South Korea, Han, was impeached. The media claims that this further destabilizes Korea—a notion I disagree with. I would like to clarify several issues regarding this matter. 1/n
December 28, 2024 at 5:03 AM
Great perspective on the current situation in Korea, with the 2nd impeachment in 2 weeks.
The Prime Minister and acting President of South Korea, Han, was impeached. The media claims that this further destabilizes Korea—a notion I disagree with. I would like to clarify several issues regarding this matter. 1/n
December 27, 2024 at 4:44 PM
The Prime Minister and acting President of South Korea, Han, was impeached. The media claims that this further destabilizes Korea—a notion I disagree with. I would like to clarify several issues regarding this matter. 1/n
The more I dig, the more I reach the conclusion that the party’s alignment with the far-right was strategic (disturbing!), but Yoon has become a true believer in far-right rhetoric (scary!).
Why did the ruling party choose not to vote for impeachment in SK? Lessons can be drawn from the previous impeachment in 2016. My article in @democratization.bsky.social shows how the party and the far-right forces aligned since the impeachment.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Protectors of liberal democracy or defenders of past authoritarianism?: authoritarian legacies, collective identity, and the far-right protest in South Korea
Between 2016 and 2019, South Korean conservatives organized a movement called the T’aegŭkki Rallies to oppose the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and to protest against President Moon Jae-in...
www.tandfonline.com
December 14, 2024 at 3:35 PM
The more I dig, the more I reach the conclusion that the party’s alignment with the far-right was strategic (disturbing!), but Yoon has become a true believer in far-right rhetoric (scary!).
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
#SouthKorea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging #democracy https://buff.ly/3ZC1y78 (@immyungheelee.bsky.social, Michigan State University and Sungik Yang, Arizona State University) #news #coups
South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy
In 1972, a South Korean president instigated a self-coup and succeeded. Understanding why – and why the latest attempt failed – helps explain how far the country’s democracy has progressed and how…
buff.ly
December 13, 2024 at 1:07 AM
#SouthKorea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging #democracy https://buff.ly/3ZC1y78 (@immyungheelee.bsky.social, Michigan State University and Sungik Yang, Arizona State University) #news #coups
Sungik Yang and I wrote about historical lessons and how failure of impeachment harm democracy in Korea.
theconversation.com/south-korea-...
theconversation.com/south-korea-...
South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy
In 1972, a South Korean president instigated a self-coup and succeeded. Understanding why – and why the latest attempt failed – helps explain how far the country’s democracy has progressed and how fra...
theconversation.com
December 12, 2024 at 2:08 PM
Sungik Yang and I wrote about historical lessons and how failure of impeachment harm democracy in Korea.
theconversation.com/south-korea-...
theconversation.com/south-korea-...
This is the consequence of the failed impeachment and Han's weird back-channel deal with Yoon. It empowered far-right pro-Yoon voices and voices normalizing the use of the military, something like calling the martial law declaration "a high-level political strategy."
December 12, 2024 at 2:23 AM
This is the consequence of the failed impeachment and Han's weird back-channel deal with Yoon. It empowered far-right pro-Yoon voices and voices normalizing the use of the military, something like calling the martial law declaration "a high-level political strategy."
Why did the ruling party choose not to vote for impeachment in SK? Lessons can be drawn from the previous impeachment in 2016. My article in @democratization.bsky.social shows how the party and the far-right forces aligned since the impeachment.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Protectors of liberal democracy or defenders of past authoritarianism?: authoritarian legacies, collective identity, and the far-right protest in South Korea
Between 2016 and 2019, South Korean conservatives organized a movement called the T’aegŭkki Rallies to oppose the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and to protest against President Moon Jae-in...
www.tandfonline.com
December 10, 2024 at 4:05 AM
Why did the ruling party choose not to vote for impeachment in SK? Lessons can be drawn from the previous impeachment in 2016. My article in @democratization.bsky.social shows how the party and the far-right forces aligned since the impeachment.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Exactly! (1)regardless of who wins the election, there'll be little/no change in the alliance,assuming the US FP remains same. (2)despite this, some are concerned about tri/multilateral security cooperation. What is the main purpose of that cooperation? Lessons learned from the FP of the old CW era.
With the opposition highly sensitive to electoral accountability, it should be clear that there’s little concern with foreign policy consequences of the impeachment and a new pres from the opposition. I mean, was the alliance in peril during the Moon govt? 4/5
December 9, 2024 at 8:41 PM
Exactly! (1)regardless of who wins the election, there'll be little/no change in the alliance,assuming the US FP remains same. (2)despite this, some are concerned about tri/multilateral security cooperation. What is the main purpose of that cooperation? Lessons learned from the FP of the old CW era.
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
#politicalscientists who study #democracy, #Constitution and #justice, please read and sign in support: t.co/5Vd1VXcsp8
On Dec 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law. 600+ political scientists of South Korea condemned this in a joint statement, urging impeachment. **We ask political scientists worldwide to please read & sign in support**: bit.ly/3Bfxc2j
A Declaration by Political Scientists of South Korea
Call for an Immediate Reintroduction and the Passage of the Impeachment Bill to Restore the Constitutional Order
bit.ly
December 9, 2024 at 1:06 AM
#politicalscientists who study #democracy, #Constitution and #justice, please read and sign in support: t.co/5Vd1VXcsp8
Reposted by Myunghee Lee
What short-lived martial law says about South Korean democracy and the position of President Yoon https://buff.ly/4g3kW3Z (@immyungheelee.bsky.social @ Michigan State University)
What short-lived martial law says about South Korean democracy and the position of President Yoon
In the space of just a few hours, South Korea looked to be backsliding toward autocratic rule.
buff.ly
December 4, 2024 at 2:15 PM
What short-lived martial law says about South Korean democracy and the position of President Yoon https://buff.ly/4g3kW3Z (@immyungheelee.bsky.social @ Michigan State University)